Talk:Draugr

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[edit] Another possible etymology

According to Eric V. Gordon's Introduction to Old Norse, the word draugr can also mean "log". The Völuspá ("Seer's Prophecy", a poem in the Elder Edda) includes a creation story in which the gods create the first humans from trees; Norse poetry also uses many tree-related kennings for people in general. Comparing a log (a fallen tree) to a corpse (a fallen body) makes sense, given those beliefs and practices; even though some unknown power animates a draugr, it usually remains in the grave like other fallen bodies. ISNorden 21:11, 1 July 2006 (UTC)

I believe in that work it implied 'draugr' was a poetic term for a "stump" as in tree stump; a felled object, dead, but still remaining without much deterioration. This was probably simply the common teutonic practice of poetically refering to something as something seperate but of the same properties, in this case a tree stump being called a 'zombie'. Rather than having the actual meaning of "log" or felled tree. Nagelfar 07:13, 26 August 2006 (UTC)